Author: Ann Kaplan

As much as instinct might suggest otherwise, a new study reveals that, in fact, religious and spiritual discussions aren’t a big part of a person’s end-of-life experience. And this is the case particularly where ICU physicians are concerned. The discussion of religious or spiritual considerations occurs in fewer than 20 percent of goals-of-care conferences in intensive care units according to a study just published...

Regret is such an unpleasant emotion. It nibbles at the edges of choice, eroding certainty and filling the mind with uncomfortable contemplations. In full force, it suffocates the spirit, insisting upon a recognition of past decisions whose subsequent second-guessing can leave a soul reeling with remorse. Best to avoid the stuff altogether. A recent study out of the States—Regrets of the Typical American: Findings...

The intersection of the spiritual realm and the physical body is a fascinating place to spend time. It is here that the former’s influence on the latter is revealed plainly, thanks to the view in afforded by science. The Religious Brain Project is a new study — among the first of its kind — undertaken by a group of academics keen to understand how the brains of people with deep spiritual and religious beliefs are...

As is the case with so many tragic aftermaths, the one attached to the sudden passing of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman has come with a flurry of sense-seeking speculation. How could such a tragedy happen in a world that purports to be kind, that alleges to strive for grace and moral propriety? Why does a man become so addicted to a substance so devastatingly wicked that he’s prepared to let it steal his very...

The prickly relationship between spirituality and science is an enduring preoccupation for folks who claim fierce allegiance to either side of the marriage. But it’s a troubled one, too, given people’s inherent reluctance to share intimate details about their spiritual life and the challenge of social scientists to effectively gather such information in a way that it might be put to useful application. The subject...